StevenF Review of Little Men

Actors: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle Director: Ira Sachs Country: USA Year: 2016 Time: 85 minutes Little Men is a low key drama about friendship and conflict between families. Greg Kinnear (who is almost unrecognizable with a scruffy face) plays an actor whose father dies and leaves him an apartment in Brooklyn. Jennifer Ehle plays his wife who is a psychologist and Theo Taplitz plays their shy, artistic son. One of the themes deals with the friendship between Jake (Theo Taplitz) and Tony (Michael Barbieri). The other story line concerns a dispute between Greg Kinnear and Leonora (Paulina Garcia) about how the grandfather let Leonora run her dress shop at a discounted rate.

I really cannot say anything against the actors. The director, who also co-wrote the story, did a fine job but the subject matter of the story, even though believable, was slow. There were a couple scenes where the actors’ voices were conveying emotions, but these were during a drama class and a play. The rest of the movie was so low key that it might not hold some people’s attention for long.

Michael Barbieri as Tony did a fine job as a brash, gregarious teenager who wants to be an actor. Theo Taplitz, some of whose short videos I have seen, is also very good at playing a shy, artistic kid who breaks out of his shell due to his friendship with Tony. The conflict between the adults, however, is based more on Leonora’s use of guilt as a weapon against Kinnear, who spent little time with his father.

As far as a rating is concerned, I give it 4 out of 5 stars, even though I would not buy it for my collection. As I said, the tone of the acting, for the most part, is low key and borders on what is almost a Woody Allen drama. I can almost see a bunch of people sipping wine sitting around watching this movie.

The movie was good, even if it was slow going. It was a shame that the boys were split apart over a family argument.
And yes they do talk to each other, but remember sometimes people just don’t have anything to say.
I didn’t notice the size of their hands though 😉